Franklin Square (Bloomington)

Infobox_nrhp | name = Franklin Square
nrhp_type=hd


caption = Franklin Park, the heart of the historic district.
locator_x =
locator_y =
location = Bloomington, Illinois, McLean County, Illinois, USA
nearest_city =
lat_degrees = 40
lat_minutes = 29
lat_seconds = 10
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 88
long_minutes = 59
long_seconds = 24
long_direction = W
locmapin=Illinois
built = Various, see article
added = January 11, 1976 [http://www.nr.nps.gov/nrloc1.htm NRIS Database] , National Register of Historic Places, retrieved Oct. 2006.]
governing_body = City of Bloomington/Private owners

Franklin Square, or Franklin Square Historic District, in Bloomington, Illinois, McLean County, encompasses parts of four blocks surrounding the city's Franklin Park. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Franklin Square includes a number of homes of historic significance. The Square includes parts of Prairie, Chestnut, Walnut and McLean Streets and lies to the northeast of downtown Bloomington. The sections of those streets included in the Square are the 300 and 400 blocks of E. Chestnut and E. Walnut Streets, the 900 block of N. Prairie and N. McLean Streets.

Houses

The area surrounding the park is dotted with homes that have historical significance, be it their architecture or those who occupied the homes, they hold special distinction in the annals of history. Some of the historically important homes include, the 1864 Burr House, the 1869 Dodson-Stevenson House and the 1895 Fifer-Bohrer House. [http://www.cityblm.org/historic/franklin.htm Franklin Square Historic District] , Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission, City of Bloomington.]

Burr House

The Burr House was constructed in 1864 by the Hayes & Evans Contracting Company. It was constructed in an Italianate style but has Queen Anne style elements from early construction features. The home stands at 210 E. Chestnut St. in Bloomington. It operates as a bed and breakfast.

The home was originally constructed in Federal Style but the original owner, Luman Burr has the home remodeled in the Queen Anne style in the late 19th Century. That addition added gables, tall chimney and spindlework porches to the Burr House, though the porches were removed in the 1930s. Burr worked as circuit court clerk in Bloomington and clerked for several of Abraham Lincoln's more noteworthy cases. Lincoln and Burr became friends and Burr associated with other prominent Bloomington residents, including, David Davis, and Asahel Gridley. Burr eventually became Bloomington's First Ward Alderman and held several terms during the 1870s. In addition to the Burr House he owned two other homes on Prairie and Locust Streets. Burr lived in the Arthur Pillsbury designed home until he died in 1921. [http://www.burrhouse.net/history.html Burr House History] , Burr House Bed & Breakfast.] In 1997 Jeffery and Mary Anne Brady-Rhodes purchased the Burr House and converted it into a bed and breakfast.

Dodson-Stevenson House

This 1869 home is built in the Italianate style. At 903 N. McLean St., the home's second owner was Adlai E. Stevenson who became vice president under the administration of Grover Cleveland.

Fifer-Bohrer House

This Georgian Revival style home was built in 1895 at 909 N. McLean St. and included some Queen Anne style elements. The house was home to Illinois Governor Joe Fifer.

Notes